How to Make Your Speakers Sound Their Best

A few extra steps can make a big difference

Adding new brand-name speakers to your system will make a big difference in your vehicle's sound quality. But there are several easy and inexpensive ways to make them sound even better.

Dynamat will make your speakers (and the rest of your system) sound better.

Install bass blockers

Yes, those full-range 6-1/2" speakers you've installed in your doors can handle some low-frequency tones. But why make them? That's just like laying out the welcome mat for distortion. You really should have a subwoofer in the trunk for that end of the frequency spectrum, and let your other speakers and components handle the mid-bass on up. Bass blockers installed in-line on your speaker wires do just what their name suggests: block the bass frequencies that your speakers can't handle. They are available with several different filter settings, so you can pick the ones that are best suited for getting more performance out of your 3-1/2", 4", 5-1/4", and other small speakers.

Use noise-dampening products

Vibration-dampening products like Dynamat are designed to deaden the natural resonance of your car's body by absorbing the vibrations caused by your speakers and road noise. These materials reduce general road noise (like tire hum, engine noise, wind, etc.) that can interfere with your music, and improve speaker performance by providing a more stable mounting platform. Creating an acoustically neutral space (or as neutral as a mobile system can get) will make your music sound better. Vibration dampening is also a great way to tame a trunk-rattling subwoofer for tighter bass and less distortion.

Install foam baffles behind your speakers

Fitted foam speaker baffles serve a dual role when installed around your full-range and component speakers. First, they help keep dirt and grime away from your delicate driver components to help maximize speaker life. Second, by forming a tight mounting seal around the speaker, the baffle can actually help reduce panel-to-frame resonance for better sound. This extra material in the speaker cavity can even help reduce road noise by dulling the external vibrations that can sneak into your sound system via the back of the speaker cone.

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Crutchfield Writer Biography

Ken Nail

Ken Nail has written about car audio for Crutchfield since 2003, after four years as Crutchfield Sales Advisor, and 10 years as a music teacher. He's an avid music listener, whose favorites are classical and film music. When not chained to a desk, Ken spends most of his time training for triathlons and marathons, and likes getting outside for backpacking, downhill skiing, and bicycle touring. He attended West Virginia University, where he received a Master's Degree in Music Performance and a Bachelor's Degree in History.